Posts Tagged ‘Twitter Party’

When I was 7 months pregnant with my oldest son, my husband and I went out to dinner at a local. I almost always order chicken or pasta when we go out. A few hours after dinner, I was extremely sick. I figure that the baby didn’t agree with what I had eaten. With in 15 minutes, I began to have severe stomach craps. Now being pregnant, I automatically assumed something was wrong. There was no way that I was going to the hospital because I couldn’t stop vomiting. As if being pregnant OR vomiting isn’t enough, both at the same time is not all that fun. It was so intense that it felt like the back of my skull was being crushed. Not a present experience nor one I would like to experience again. Turns out I had food poisoning.

Food poisoning is not simply an upset stomach; it is a serious public health threat in America. In fact, the CDC estimates that about 1 in 6 Americans (about 48 million people) could suffer from a food-borne illness this year. The result is approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and sadly, an estimated 3,000 deaths!

Because warm weather events often present an opportunity for bacteria to thrive and high temperatures cause bacteria to multiply more rapidly, the summer months typically see a spike in reports of food-borne illness and outbreaks.

Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of families are not using a food thermometer regularly to check the temperature of meat and poultry and one-third (33 percent) are not using different or freshly cleaned cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination between different food products (such as raw meat and produce).

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Seeing Is Believing”? Guess what? Seeing ISN’T Believing! Too many people think that just because your cheeseburger is brown in the middle, that it’s done. Unless you are a human food thermometer, looking at the color and texture of food is not enough to tell if it has been properly cooked.

According to USDA research, 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it reaches a safe internal temperature. Meat and poultry should be cooked to a safe temperature to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present. Color of meat and poultry is not a good indicator of safety. Use a food thermometer to make sure meats have reached a safe minimum internal temperature. When a hamburger is cooked to 160 F, it is both safe and delicious!

Bring water for cleaning if none will be available at the picnic or camping site. Pack clean, wet, disposable cloths or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.

Carry cold perishable food like raw hamburger patties, sausages, and chicken in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, frozen gel packs, or containers of ice.

Be sure raw meat and poultry are wrapped securely to prevent their juices from cross-contaminating ready-to-eat food. If possible, store these foods near the bottom of the cooler, so that juices don’t contaminate other foods in the cooler.

If you can’t keep hot food hot during the drive to your location, plan and chill the food in the refrigerator before packing it in a cooler. Reheat the food to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

The two-hour rule is also in effect: food should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. If bringing hot take-out food (like chicken fingers, wings etc.), eat it within 2 hours of purchase (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F).

Instead of using large serving bowls, serve dips and items with dairy in smaller containers. Make several in advance and keep them chilled in the refrigerator or coolers until you need them.

Offer serving spoons and small plates to reduce opportunity for guests to eat items like dip and guacamole directly from the serving container (double-dipping is a no-no and can increase the chances for food contamination).

Visit FoodSafety.govto learn about best food safety practices, utilize “Ask Karen,” an online database with nearly 1,500 answers to specific questions related to preventing foodborne illnesses, in both English and Spanish, or to call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline. Also, check out USDA’s tips for Safe Grilling

Can you believe it? It is 42 days until Christmas! I’m sorry, don’t hate me for bringing that up. For some people, coming up with ideas on what to get everyone can be a real ordeal. This year, let Verizon help you! We all have a “Techie” in our lives and I will be the first to admit, I don’t know nearly as much about this stuff as I would like to. Verizon Wireless offers everything from Smartphones to Tablets to Modems to Hotspots! Trust me when I say, it doesn’t stop there.

Prizes:

RSVP

Let us know that you will be partying with us! Please RSVP below by including your Twitter name and URL. ex. @DelightfulToni http://twitter.com/DelightfulToni…… You do not need to RSVP to join us but we would love to know you are coming!

You may have noticed my absence, then again, maybe you didn’t It really has been longer than it should have. Between having to get a new laptop, baseball and family vacations with the boys… Okay, that is no excuse. You all do it every day and I should be too. Forgive me?

On a happy note, I am back with a fun Twitter party! Join me tomorrow night, (August 6th) at 9:00 p.m. eastern, with Protect-A-Bed and Dream Expert Lauri Loewenberg. She will be answering your dream questions. We have all had a dream or 10 that we wish we understood. Now is your chance to ask about it.

Protect-A-Bed is hosting a Facebook sweepstakes called Summer Dreamin’ in which people are encouraged to submit their craziest dreams this summer. The promotion began July 30 and will end August 16. People who enter the sweepstakes will be registered for a chance to win the grand prize of Protect-A-Bed Signature Series Pillow Protectors, a copy of Loewenberg’s book, “Dream on It: Unlock Your Dreams, Change Your Life,” a 30-minute dream reading and $1,000 toward a dream vacation. You can enter one dream per week!